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Of course it’s quite handy that Catherine’s school is so close, but from the training point of view it might be better if it was further away – it only takes me four minutes to jog there. (It’s 1k, btw)
Yesterday morning I was up at 4.30 am to go and help out at the Peter Palmer Junior Relays in Sutton Park. I couldn’t find my headlight or a decent torch** so I had some fun/trouble navigating from the Start to a suitable area to patrol, but eventually I plonked myself down on a log by control 77 for a while and had a pleasant time deep in the dark, peaceful wood watching headlamps come and go. As I said to Gerry, it was like watching the Tiomila on my PC. The only thing missing were the split times on the bottom of the screen. 
In fact, it would’ve been great if there had been a camera at that spot, transmitting live pictures back to the arena (and to people at home). I imagine that these days the technology to do it isn’t so expensive, but what do I know…
Congratulations to the planners and to Gerry, COBOC, and the helpers from OD, HOC and elsewhere for a great event. The weather also helped, of course. There were 33 teams and the results show that the lead changed hands several times before OD eventually emerged victorious.
**I did have something with me that was surprisingly effective, once I’d realised. What was it? (Correct, Mrs H
Clent was fun last night. Even with just a £5 LED headband and a £2 LED torch to light my way. It makes a refreshing change to run in the snow, and maybe there’ll be a bit left in the Lickey Hills this weekend.
After the race came the prizegiving meal at The Vine. Chris McSweeny and Alison Sloman went home with the trophies.
Bugger. I spent loads of time planning my night-street event but then I went and let myself down badly by missing a street off the map! Booths Lane, to be precise. It comes in three parts and I only included one of them, so my checking system wasn’t foolproof after all… Alison and Jacky bore the brunt of this error, ending up lost and (not unnaturally, considering how cold it was out there) ready to concede defeat, but luckily for me they met and helped each other to puzzle it out. Both of them have the opportunity to get their own back (they’re hosting night-street events in the new year) so I better keep my wits about me!
As promised, there was a seasonal theme, with most of the “controls” being houses with Christmas lights on them. (Not a bad idea, even if I say so myself, and worth trying again, next time perhaps with a score format.) My map was of the roads-and-paths-only variety, which I know doesn’t suit everybody, especially as it’s not always clear in open areas whether it’s possible to get from one path/road to another.
Thanks very much to everyone who braved the elements to take part. A couple of the non-festive control sites are pictured above.
Andy and Marian White very kindly lent me a headlamp again (I’m hoping that Santa will bring me my own next month!) and I travelled down to Stourport with Andy Hemsted and Barry McGowan for the first night score event of the season. This was my first time on this area and it’s certainly very varied: grass, trees, bracken, heather, sand… The planner was Alison Sloman and she’d included some nice and simple controls so it wasn’t too hard for me to sweep up 13 altogether.
After 45 minutes (I was midway between the “18″ and the “20″ on the map) my lamp suddenly went out; I discovered that the wires had come adrift at the connector and I couldn’t reconnect them. So I had to navigate more than a kilometre in the dark to the finish… Luckily it was full moon, but I couldn’t really see the map so I was pleased with myself that I didn’t get lost!
These events are a lot of fun so don’t be scared (Halloween’s long gone!) – come and have a go in the Lickey Hills on December 4th.
The weather’s been very kind so far this year, and tonight was great for running. I borrowed a headlamp from the Whites and it was excellent, although one of the bulbs blew as soon as I switched it on! And it’s difficult to be intimidated by a small wood like Uffmoor, so I enjoyed myself. I found all the “easy” controls, plus a few more. As before there were a couple I went a-huntin’ without success, which reminds me of my latest new problem… I had my contact lenses in, and this means that I find it very hard to focus on the fine detail on the map. For example, I ran down the stream from #2 expecting to hit #23 but missed it completely, not having been able to see that the control was above the stream.
Quoi faire? Bifocal contacts?
Barry Houghton presents Richard Dearden with his Night-O trophy.
If RV hadn’t mentioned it on Sunday, I’m sure I wouldn’t have gone. I’ve never night-orienteered before and I’ve never thought I wanted to. But I couldn’t have picked a better night to pop my night-o cherry: the skies were calm and perfectly clear. Late in my run, running back towards the finish, I looked up and the beautiful sight of the moon and stars above the trees made me stop and stare with elation.
Owning up time: this was a score event: find as many controls as you can in one hour, and I didn’t have a watch. Now and again I saw another runner and knew I still had time, but I was amazed when I got back to the finish and discovered that I’d been out for one hour and thirty seconds. Also, the LED headtorch I got for under a tenner from Lidl (or Aldi) is inadequate. It wasn’t too bad in the trees, but the light was hardly giving me any information when I was on the paths.
I’m not sure how keen I am on score events. Having to confect one’s own course is a whole extra level of decision-making on top of the difficult-enough task of simply having to find the controls. Richard, the planner, had arranged eight relatively easy-to-find controls within easy reach of the start, but I fancied stretching my legs so I headed off into the wood. (The trickier, more distant controls were worth more points.)
My expectations were low: I thought I’d find about six controls and end up with a minus score because I’d be so late back. (Points are deducted if you take more than an hour.) But I didn’t disgrace myself. In fact I felt quite proud of myself when I found control 11, and that gave me confidence to carry on. It was really quite scary sometimes, not because of the hooting of owls, but because as soon as you leave the path you are automatically lost in a closed forest in the dark. You cling on to your map, your compass and the moon for dear life. (I should’ve clung on a bit better to my control card – I dropped it on the way to #23!) Now and again there’s the reassuring glow from someone’s headlamp, but then they’re gone again.
I wonder what’s off the map here? I nearly found out. After #14 I accidentally headed WNW, crossed the stream and, luckily, before I headed off into the ether, I had a look at my compass, which told me north wasn’t where I thought it was.
The first task tonight was getting to the venue. Here’s a map of the course (click to enlarge):
I think my money’s safe, but free entry to the local event of your choice for anyone who works out the route I took from Kingstanding to Bewdley. Clue: I left home at 1710 and it took me 73 minutes. Clue 2: I was told there were roadworks on the A456 between Kidderminster and Bewdley.
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